N6-methyladenosine reader protein IGF2BP1 suppresses CD8 + T cells-mediated tumor cytotoxicity and apoptosis in colon cancer

Tumor immune escape is an important manner for colon cancer to escape effective killing by immune system. Currently, the immune checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1-targeted immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy in colon cancer. Here, present work aims to investigate the biological function of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) in regulating colon cancer's immune escape and CD8 + T cells-mediated tumor cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Results illustrated that IGF2BP1 was closely correlated to the colon cancer patients' poor clinical outcome. Functionally, upregulation of IGF2BP1 suppressed the CD8+ T-cells mediated antitumor immunity through reducing their tumor cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, MeRIP-Seq revealed that programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) mRNA had a remarkable m6A modified site on 3'-UTR genomic. Moreover, PD-L1 acted as the target of IGF2BP1, which enhanced the stability of PD-L1 mRNA. Overall, these results indicated that IGF2BP1 targeted PD-L1 to accelerate the immune escape in colon cancer by reducing CD8 + T cells-mediated tumor cytotoxicity in m6A-dependent manner. The findings demonstrate the potential of m6A-targeted immune checkpoint blockade in colon cancer, providing a novel insight for colon cancer immune escape and antitumor immunity in further precise treatment.

Decreasing the pH of milk replacer containing soy flour affects nutrient digestibility, digesta pH, and gastrointestinal development of preweaned calves

We evaluated the effect of feeding soy flour-containing milk replacer (MR) with a lower than normal pH on growth, nutrient digestibility, digesta pH, and gastrointestinal development of preweaned calves. The study consisted of 48 neonatal calves, allocated to 8 treatments in a 2-factor 4×2 randomized design. The calves received 2 types of MR containing soy flour. The proportion of soy crude protein (CP) to total CP (SP/CP) in MR was 50% (MR50 treatment) or 80% (MR80 treatment), respectively. The pH of the reconstituted MR was decreased by 1 N HCl from to 6.2 to 5.5, 5.0, or 4.5. We measured body weight and dry matter intake and calculated feed conversion rate in the MR50 treatment. We monitored urinary and fecal pH consecutively for 5h when calves were 25d old. We also conducted a digestion trial to determine nutrient digestibility from 49 to 55d of age. At 63d old, calves were slaughtered, and gastrointestinal pH, mass index, and morphology were evaluated. Reducing the pH of MR containing soy flour improved average daily gain and feed conversion rate, increased Ca digestibility, and reduced urinary, fecal, and digesta pH in the rumen, reticulum, and omasum. Although treatments had no effect on gastrointestinal mass index, the pH 5.0 treatment led to favorable ruminal epithelium growth, and the pH 5.5 treatment led to better intestinal epithelium growth. Increasing SP/CP from 50 to 80% decreased P digestibility and fecal and digesta pH in rumen, reticulum, and omasum. Moreover, the MR80 treatment reduced the mass index of the abomasums and jejunum. In conclusion, decreasing the pH of MR containing soy flour to a pH of 5.0 to 5.5 improved the digestive tract of preweaned calves. A pH reduction to 4.5 had adverse effects on intestinal epithelium growth.

Puerarin prevents inflammation and apoptosis in the neurocytes of a murine Parkinson's disease model

The aim of this study was to investigate Parkinson's disease (PD) using a murine model of PD. Specifically, we aimed to explore the mechanism by which puerarin prevents inflammation and apoptosis in neurocytes. Eighty healthy male C57/BL6 mice were randomly selected and divided into four groups (N = 20 each): control group; PD group; PD+puerarin group; and puerarin group. At the end of the treatment period, the animals' brains were removed after perfusion and decollation. The protein expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the murine brains were assessed by immunohistochemistry and the protein expression levels of TH, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cleaved Caspase-3, and Bax in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum of the animals were assessed by western blotting. The spontaneous activity of the PD mice was found to be significantly higher after puerarin treatment and the distance traveled by mice in an open field assessment was 1700 cm further in puerarin-treated PD mice than in PD mice. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting analyses indicated that the expression of TH was significantly higher (2.63-fold) in puerarin-treated PD mice than in untreated PD mice and that the expression of GFAP in PD mice was significantly reduced (~45%) by puerarin treatment. These findings lead us to conclude that puerarin significantly alleviates 1-methyl-4-phenyl- 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced injury in dopaminergic neurons. Puerarin mediates anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities and plays a neuroprotective role.

Mechanisms of RON-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in MDCK cells through the MAPK pathway

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in neoplastic metastasis, and the RON protein may be involved. In the present study, we determined the role and the mechanisms of action of RON in EMT in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells by Western blot and cell migration analysis. Activation of RON by macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) results in cell migration and initiates changes in the morphology of RON-cDNA-transfected MDCK cells. The absence of E-cadherin, the presence of vimentin and an increase in Snail were observed in RE7 cells, which were derived from MDCK cells transfected with wt-RON, compared with MDCK cells. Stimulation of RE7 cells with MSP resulted in increased migration (about 69% of the wounded areas were covered) as well as increased activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2) and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β; the percent of the activation ratio was 143.6/599.8% and 512.4%, respectively), which could be inhibited with an individual chemical inhibitor PD98059 (50 μM) specific to MAPK/ERK kinase (the percent inhibition was 98.9 and 81.2%, respectively). Thus, the results indicated that RON protein could mediate EMT in MDCK cells via the Erk1/2 pathway. Furthermore, GSK-3β regulates the function of Snail in controlling EMT by this pathway.

Pregnancies and births resulting from in vitro matured oocytes fertilized with testicular spermatozoa

PURPOSE

In vitro maturation (IVM) of immature human oocytes is an attractive option for the treatment of infertility. Similarly, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) followed by testicular fine needle aspiration (TEFNA) is an important treatment for primarily male-factor infertility. This report highlights the combination of these two advanced assisted reproduction techniques, namely IVM and fertilization with TEFNA-retrieved spermatozoa by ICSI to overcome both of male and female infertility problems.

METHODS

Before immature oocyte retrieval (IOR), gonadotropin stimulation was given for 3 or 5 days. Following IVM, and mature oocytes were inseminated by ICSI followed by TEFNA.

RESULTS

Four couples with five completed treatment cycles were performed, and total of 36 immature oocytes were retrieved. Following 36 to 48 h of culture, 32 (88.89%, 32/36) oocytes became mature. The mature oocytes were inseminated with TEFNA-retrieved sperm, and 18 (56.25%, 18/32) oocytes were fertilized normally following ICSI. Eleven embryos were transferred in five cycles and two pregnancies and two singleton births were achieved in two patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This result demonstrates that the successful pregnancies and live births can be established from embryos produced from in vitro matured oocytes that fertilized with testicular sperm.

[Laser-time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in immunoassays]

This paper described a laser-excited time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay set. It made lanthanide ion to couple the anhydrde of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPAA) for labeling antibodies. The experiment used polystyrene tap coated with HCV antigen as the solid phase and a chelate of the rare earth metal europium as fluorescent label. A nitrogen laser beam was used to excite the Eu3- chelates and after 60 microseconds delay time, the emission fluorescence was measured. Background fluorescence of short lifetimes caused by serum components and Raman scattering can be eliminated by set the delay time. In the system condition, fluorescent spectra and fluorescent lifetimes of Eu3+ beta-naphthoyltrifluroacetone (NTA) chelates were measured. The fluorescent lifetime value is 650 microseconds. The maximum emission wavelength is 613 nm. The linear range of europium ion concentration is 1 x 10(-7)-1 x 10(-11) g.mL-1 and the detection limit is 1 x 10(-13) g.mL-1. The relative standard deviation of determination (n = 12) for samples at 0.01 ng.mL-1 magnitude is 6.4%. Laser-TRFIA was also found to be suitable for diagnosis of HCV. The sensitivity and specificity were comparable to enzyme immunoassay. The result was obtained with laser-TRFIA for 29 human correlated well with enzyme immunoassay.